Science Cooperatives in Missouri and Iowa (Science Co-op): Addressing the Needs of Small Rural School Districts of Science Literacy for All

One special education teacher and one special education administrator from each of 17 small rural school districts (N=34) were interviewed via a 65–item interview guide relative to staff development needs. A lack of staff development activities was identified as a critical problem for special educators in such districts in New Mexico. Training in the area of instructional technology was the most frequently mentioned inservice need. A majority of respondents indicated that instructional technology would be useful in the provision of special services. The vast majority of respondents felt competence in instructional technology would improve the special educator's effectiveness in the classroom, while the response to the question of whether competence in this area would improve the special education administrator's effectiveness was mixed.

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Rural Education

The Rural Educator ◽

10.35608/ruraled.v27i2.495 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Jerry M. Lowe

Keyword(s):

School Districts ◽

School Administrators ◽

Critical Issue ◽

Rural School ◽

Rural School Districts ◽

Quality Teachers ◽

High Turnover ◽

Teacher Supply ◽

Common Causes ◽

Small Rural School

For many small rural school districts across America, the effort to attract and retain quality teachers continues to be a major concern. Schools located in what are considered to be “hard to staff” areas experience the most difficult. While not all communities face the problems of inadequate teacher supply, many small and rural school districts recognize this as a continuing critical issue. A variety of factors contribute to the problems of recruiting and retaining teachers in small and rural school. This article will address the most common causes of high turnover rate among teachers in the rural schools and offer a variety of strategies that may be considered by local school administrators.

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Voices in the Hallway

The Rural Educator ◽

10.35608/ruraled.v25i3.522 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Vicki Robinson ◽

Thomas Blaine ◽

Nicholas J. Pace

Keyword(s):

School Districts ◽

Graduate School ◽

Culturally Diverse ◽

Rural School ◽

Urban Setting ◽

Rural School Districts ◽

Community Members ◽

Claremont Graduate School ◽

Insight Into ◽

Small Rural School

Students, faculty, administration, and community members of three Iowa rural school districts were interviewed to identify educational issues in their communities The results of the Iowa investigation are compared with the results of the Claremont Graduate School investigation published in Voices from the inside: A report on schooling from inside the classroom (1992). The Claremont study investigated large urban schools. The Iowa study provides insight into small, rural school districts. Although similar issues emerged from the two studies, other issues demonstrated the different realities of education in rural Iowa and education in a large culturally diverse urban setting.

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Leadership Behaviors of Superintendent/Principals in Small, Rural School Districts in Texas

The Rural Educator ◽

10.35608/ruraled.v29i3.461 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Maria T. Canales ◽

Carmen Tejada-Delgado ◽

John R. Slate

Keyword(s):

School Districts ◽

School Board ◽

Leadership Behaviors ◽

Leadership Behavior ◽

Rural School ◽

School Board Presidents ◽

Rural School Districts ◽

Questionnaire Form ◽

Behavior Description ◽

Small Rural School

In this study, 206 teachers, 35 school board presidents, and 37 superintendents/principals (n = 278) were surveyed regarding their views of effective leadership behaviors demonstrated by school leaders with dual role responsibilities through serving as both a school principal and as a superintendent in small rural school districts. Data were collected through use of the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire Form XII and the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire Form XII Self. Of the 12 leadership domains assessed through use of this measure, statistically significant differences were yielded on 6 of the 12 leadership areas: Representation; Demand Reconciliation; Tolerance of Uncertainty; Persuasiveness; Initiation of Structure; and Role Assumption. Superintendents/principals reported lower scores in these areas than did teachers and/or school board presidents. Implications of these findings are discussed.

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The Fiscal Effects of Tax Increment Financing on Rural School Districts: The Case of Iowa

AERA Open ◽

10.1177/2332858421991149 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 233285842199114

Author(s):

Phuong Nguyen-Hoang

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

School Districts ◽

Property Tax ◽

Rural School ◽

Tax Rates ◽

Rural School Districts ◽

Tax Increment Financing ◽

Tax Base ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Development Tool

Tax increment financing (TIF)—an economic (re)development tool originally designed for urban cities—has been available to rural communities for decades. This is the first study to focus solely on TIF in rural school districts, to examine TIF effects on school districts’ property tax base and rates, and to conduct event-study estimations of TIF effects. The study finds that TIF has mostly positive effects on rural school districts’ property tax base and mixed effects on property tax rates, and that TIF-induced increases in tax base come primarily from residential property and slightly from commercial property. The study’s findings assert the importance of returned excess increment if rural school districts in Iowa and many other states are to benefit from TIF.

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Cultivating Teacher Leadership in Rural School Districts

Advances in Educational Marketing, Administration, and Leadership - Empowering Formal and Informal Leadership While Maintaining Teacher Identity ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-6500-1.ch004 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 83-108

Author(s):

Beth Kania-Gosche ◽

Suzanne Hull

Keyword(s):

School Districts ◽

Working Conditions ◽

Rural Schools ◽

Teacher Leaders ◽

Rural School ◽

Community Context ◽

National Standards ◽

Rural Setting ◽

Teacher Leader ◽

Rural School Districts

This chapter addresses the uniqueness of rural schools and the importance of teacher leaders in those settings. The teacher leader model will be different in a smaller school, although this context is less studied. Because teacher leaders have experience in the community context, they can guide others. Rural schools often have more difficulty recruiting and retaining teachers; while location cannot be changed, working conditions can. Supportive mentors can help rural school districts retain new teachers; however, teacher leaders are often not formally recognized. Less than half of states have a teacher leader licensure, and even fewer have standards in this area. Although national standards exist, little research has focused on how these and other professional development strategies can be effectively implemented in the rural setting.

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Training Teachers of Visually Impaired Children in Rural Tennessee

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness ◽

10.1177/0145482x9208600908 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 86 (9) ◽

pp. 408-409 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

S.D. Trent

Keyword(s):

School Districts ◽

Visually Impaired ◽

Rural School ◽

The State ◽

School Systems ◽

Rural School Districts ◽

Visually Impaired Students ◽

Impaired Children ◽

Visually Impaired Children

This article describes a model for training teachers of visually impaired children in Tennessee that has significantly increased the number of teachers of visually impaired children in rural school districts since 1981. Teachers are awarded stipends to attend both classes and a practicum over two or three summers and earn 18 hours of credit. They are recruited from across the state and must have assurance from their superintendents that they will teach visually impaired students in their school systems when they are endorsed.

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Using Community Conversations to Inform Transition Education in Rural Communities

The Journal of Special Education ◽

10.1177/0022466920950331 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 002246692095033

Author(s):

Erik W. Carter ◽

Michele A. Schutz ◽

Shimul A. Gajjar ◽

Erin A. Maves ◽

Jennifer L. Bumble ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

School Districts ◽

Students With Disabilities ◽

Postsecondary Education ◽

Local Community ◽

Community Partnerships ◽

Rural School ◽

Rural School Districts ◽

Youth With Disabilities ◽

Transition Outcomes

Nearly one quarter of all youth with disabilities attend rural schools. Supporting the successful postschool transitions of these youth can be a complex and challenging endeavor. In this study, we used “community conversation” events as a methodology for identifying the practices and partnerships needed to improve transition outcomes for students with disabilities in rural school districts. We analyzed the diverse ideas ( n = 656) for preparing youth with disabilities for adulthood generated by a cross section of the local community in five participating rural school districts. Although practices related to employment and family engagement were prominent, fewer suggestions addressed postsecondary education and community living. Perceptions of existing school–community partnerships varied within and across districts. We offer recommendations for research and practice aimed at strengthening the capacity of rural communities to prepare their students with disabilities well for life after high school.

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Inclusion in Rural School Districts: Where is the Superintendent?

Rural Special Education Quarterly ◽

10.1177/875687059901800104 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 23-27 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

H. H. (Buddy) Hooper ◽

Anita Pankake ◽

Gwen Schroth

Keyword(s):

School Districts ◽

Rural School ◽

Rural School Districts

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Service Delivery to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Students in Rural School Districts

Rural Special Education Quarterly ◽

10.1177/875687059401300406 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 37-45 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jozi De Leon ◽

Jack Cole

Keyword(s):

Special Education ◽

School Districts ◽

Service Delivery ◽

Linguistically Diverse ◽

Rural School ◽

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse ◽

Rural School Districts ◽

Exceptional Students ◽

Educational Diagnosticians ◽

Bilingual Special Education

Bilingual special education programs have been established in many school districts across the country to address the unique needs of culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional students (CLDE). Rural school districts may have difficulty meeting the specialized needs of CLDE students due to the limited availability of resources, especially individuals trained in bilingual special education. This study examines the availability of programs which could serve CLDE students, the training of personnel in these programs, and whether educational diagnosticians and speech language pathologists (SLPs) apply procedures which take into account language and cultural factors. The authors suggest that rural school districts can provide service delivery if special educators are trained in cultural and language areas while bilingual and English as a second language (ESL) teachers are trained in exceptionalities.

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